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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my usual payday ritual: I opened every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a completely useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I decided to try something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after waiting before going to the store, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I had a phone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly adequate camera, and thus did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.